Letter – Nicholas Walton to Peter Mulcaster – 12 Nov 1771

Mr Mulcaster							Farnacres 12th November 1771



      Your Memorandums and Letters of the 8th and 9th instant are now all before us and we now take the first opportunity of writing to you since our getting from the West Country except a few lines we sent you by Mr Hilton.

      The Cutting Ore we desire may be washed if you think it requires it and beg it may be done in such way as there will be the least Work. You will therefore, in case you find it proper to wash it, provide the necessary conveniences and in such manner as to prevent loss as much as possible.

      If the Repairs of the Bellows cannot be so well done by a Shoemaker as by a professed Bellows maker we would have you employ the latter as we always wish to have our business done in the best way, and we entirely approve of the manner in which you have secured the Bellows Pipe except that a Plate of Iron nailed over the end of the Bellows would have been better than Lead so you do the others with Iron; & Mr Smeaton says you mistook him if you understood him you were to make use of Lead, dont however alter that which you have done without you find it necessary.

      By way of securing Water as much as possible we desire you will get one of the Old Pits (in a proper situation for turning Water into as near the Main Drift as you can) Walled from the Stone head like a Draw Well and sufficiently secured at the Bottom and great care must be taken that the communication for the passage of Water is compleat between the bottom of such Pit as you shall fix upon to Wall and the Coal Level or Main Drift and that the Passage may be come at by Workmen to clean it out as occasion may require. in this Nicholas Temperley will assist you.

      With regard to Henry Smith, as you are constantly upon the spot and see the Work he does from time to time we must desire you will let him have Money upon Account as you shall judge proper in the doing of which we are sure you will not miscalculate very far at any period.

The first time we see Mr Laybourne here we shall have directions to get him the Iron you want, in the meantime let us know the quantity of sorts you which you will have occasion for, the size of that for Gavelocks shall be particularly attended to.

      You have done right in your report of the Quantity of Ore received from the Mines this year, and we must call upon Mr Wilson to make good the Three Bings two Horse of Rampgill Ore.

      When you have made a full Tryal of your drying Kiln pray let us know the result of it.

      We have ordered a Pot for the Reducing Furnace; but cannot you secure the Crack of the present Pot by putting a Screw or Plain Hoop about it? When it is necessary to fix the new Pot be very careful in tempering it gradualy before you use it.

      You may let John Corbett have the Quantity of Ore for Potters at £4.4 P Bing but don't sell any of the sorts of Ore which are useful in fluxing our other Ores which are difficult to Smelt.

      The Lead Carriage we would have to cease upon the 29th of this present Month and you may let the Carriers know immediately.

      The Fence to be run across your Field we desire may be Stone dry Wall, but before it is begun you are to consult with some Workmen what it will cost P Rood, and let us know. The Coping Stones we should Iike to have laid upon the top of the Wall thus [drawn as sloping paralellograms].   The length of Fence we make to be 42 Roods.



[Sketch of the desired coping is available in the PDF]



      We approve of what you have done about <Ab?> Steel, and desire he may be made quite sensible that he is to be under your direction for we can have to do with nobody but such as will.

      Let the Lead Carriers know at the time of ending the Carriage, that as soon as they have brought in all the Lead ( delivered at that time at the Mill) to Newcastle we will make a clear Pay & we beg youll let us know how much Lead has been delivered to each Carrier from the 28th September to the 29th Novr as soon after that daysas you can.

      Our Produce in Bullion last Operation is better than common for the sort of Lead and answers the Assay very well, the whole Cake Weighed 606 Ounces good Weight.

      Carrs and Cowhill Cross Vein Slag are neither of them Refineable but Blagill Lead is Refineable. Please Your Hble Servts

      NW Junr

      J S